Life in America
by palmaviolet
Summary: When the fiery and aggressive Jet, Action meets the timid yet enchanting Puerto Rican Rosalia, he realises things aren't as simple as black and white. Set alongside the events of the stage version of West Side Story.
1. Chapter 1

**Prior to Maria's arrival**

"_Adios_ 'Suela! And thanks again for the earrings, Francisca!" shouted the tanned girl to her friends across the street.

"_De nada_." Francisca yelled back, as she walked down the street.

"See you at work tomorrow, Rosa!" Consuela added before linking arms with Francisca and leaving Rosalia all alone

Rosalia tugged her thin jacket over her shoulders and headed down the dimly lit New York street. She was already regretting her choice of shoes – sure the heels had been perfect for dancing and she had received plenty of compliments but now her feet were starting to rub. Why did she have to stay out so late? She knew she was silly walking home alone at this time but it was better than having to walk home with Indio after all if Consuela's tall tales were to be believed Indio wasn't "half as boring when you were alone with him as when he's with 'Nardo and the boys". Rosalia wasn't too sure what 'Suela meant by that but she knew she didn't want to find out.

Indio was another from her country and the reason she had been allowed to go to America – to marry Indio. In Puerto Rico the thought of going to New York all by herself thrilled her. She was going to live in New York, the city of dreams and opportunity, with her friends. But now in these cold and dirty streets she saw things differently. "This is what I left my country for?" she thought bitterly, "This is what I left mama and papa and Kiki for?"

"Ai!" she realised suddenly, "That is the drug store – I must have taken a wrong turning somewhere." She froze – 3 American boys were leaving the store. Were they some of the boys Indio and his friends were always fighting with? No they couldn't be! They were laughing and joking together and behaving, well, as the boys back in Puerto Rico – just without an accent.

"Momentito señores!" she called over to them – their head shot up like lightening, "I am lost – do you-"

But one of the boys, a taller one with messy hair and bright emerald eyes, cut across, "You sure are lost – the docks are just 'round that corner; why don't you head on back where you came from!" he said fiercely in a thick New York drawl.

"Cool Action!" the blond one commanded, their ringleader.

"Do any of you know how to get to the bridal shop down town from here?"

"Well sure we do, beautiful, why we'll take you now, right Action?" said the boy who hadn't spoken yet stepping forwards to her and putting his arm around her waist making the boy they called Action snigger. Rosalia pushed him off with all the strength she had, which just made Action laugh more. The blond boy rolled his eyes, bored, and glanced over his shoulder at the drug store where Rosa saw two extremely pretty blond girls in tight grey dresses step out giggling.

"You comin' Riff honey?" one of the girls shouted over.

"Gimme a sec Vel'!" he yelled back to the girl Rosa assumed was his girlfriend, "You guys get goin' – I gotta give this _chica _directions."

"Right daddio!" they chorused, snapping their fingers and running down the road. Over at the drug store she saw the two girls whispering to each other and glaring at her.

"OK señorita," Riff said, "You musta taken a wrong turn down 8th so ya gotta go down that sidewalk there and take a left at the lights and it'll be straight ahead of you, you got that?"

"Si," Rosa breathed, "Gracias señor and sorry, I didn't want to cause trouble for you I'm new here-"

He laughed harshly, "All you Puerto Ricans are buggin' new here! – why don't ya just…" Rosalia took a step back in alarm and Riff sighed, "Don't look at me like _that _you know it's true! Look you'd better get outa here and stick to your own side next time!"

"Si, si" she mumbled darting down the road, trying to get away from the blond boy and his American _buddies _as fast as she could.


	2. Chapter 2

**Momentito amigos. I just wanted to say a big muchas gracias to childatheart94 for being my first reviewer and spurring me on to write another chapter so quickly and another huge muchas gracias to the supermegafoxyawesomehot Jacob for being the most fabulously wicked Action in our show and for being a fabulously wonderful brother/lover/friend. This chapter is set 2 months after the first on the night of the dance at the gym where Tony and Maria first meet...hope you enjoy it and reviews would be much appriciated**

**buenas noches xx**

* * *

"_Ai_!" thought Rosa furiously, "I am going to be so late! Again! The first real dance since in months and I am late for it!" Rosalia could almost hear the mocking tones of Teresita and Estella in her mind as she hurried along the sidewalk. "Late again, Rosa," Teresita would say.

"This one would be late for her own funeral!" Estella would continue with a giggle, as they did every time she was late for something.

She examined her reflexion in a window before she went into the dance hall. "Hmm not bad…_es una vestida muy bonita_," she thought to herself, smiling slightly at the girl in the window.

Rosalia had spent the entire day with Consuela – a brassy, bleached blonde girl whom Rosa loved like the older sister she had never had. They spent their time doing as little work as possible by putting rollers into their hair and perfecting their dance moves. After trying on their best dresses (all borrowed from _su tía_ Lucia's bridal shop which was beneath Rosalia's apartment) 'Suela had finally decided on a tight dress in the same colour as Anita's whilst Rosalia had selected a dress that had a red rose pattern and a full skirt that just skimmed her knees.

At one point it seemed like they wouldn't be able to go at all when one of the more expensive dresses got accidentally torn when they were trying them on. "Do not worry _querida_," Rosa had said, pulling her long, dark hair out of the curlers, "You go ahead to the dance and I will sew this up. I am a fast seamstress so I won't be too late."

"Hey you!" a weirdly familiar American voice called from across the street shocking Rosalia from her daydreams, "Hey I know you! You're that pretty little _señorita_ with the poor sense of direction." He laughed to himself at that. He was right behind her now; Rosa could even hear his breathing. He was closing in on her.

She took a deep breath and allowed herself to face him. It was the tall, scruffy, emerald-eyed American boy from two months earlier (though admittedly he wasn't as scruffy this time). It was the boy they had called Action.

"I can see ya didn't take my advice _chica_," he continued, leaning against the wall with his hand and sneering at her, "You here for the dance or what?"

Rosa nodded, too frightened to say a single word.

"Well 'course you are – dressed so fancy." He tugged at the hem of her dress with his free hand, pulling her closer until their faces were mere inches away. "So what say I and you kick it?" Rosa could hear the smirk in his voice, like making her feel so intimidated was a game to him. His hand moved up from her hem to her slim waist.

Rosalia's mind was whirring out of control and she was struggling to keep the fear from showing in her face. "This kind of thing would never have happened in Puerto Rico!" she thought desperately. Well at least it never happened to her. Back home mama and papa would never have let her walk around by herself.

"_Yo no quiero, gracias_," Rosalia murmured – finally able to force out speech.

"What? Don't you try and confuse me with your Spic talk!" Action snapped, taking a step back from Rosalia. It certainly didn't take much to wind this boy up – he was like a ticking time bomb and it seemed almost anything could make him explode.

"_Arrepentido_! No I mean s-sorry!" Rosa wished she could be braver, more like Consuela or Anita, "I didn't mea-"

"Big deal – I didn't wanna poop around with a dumb broad like you anyways!"

"Hey! What's goin' on out here?" a burly police officer barked at them.

"Why if it isn't Officer Krupke! Top of the evenin' Officer Krupke!" It took a moment for Action's heavy sarcasm to penetrate the thick skull of this particular officer.

"Hey can it, wise guy!"

"Can what, sir? I was just enjoyin' this lovely evenin' with my PR friend here!"

"Alright wise guy, now this here is a dance so you and your new friend had better go dance or it's a night in the slammer for the both of ya!"

"Dance? Why certainly Officer Krupke!" Action grabbed Rosalia's hand suddenly and twirled her around several times in order to demonstrate his "dancing".

"Either the two of youse go inside or we're gonna be paying a little trip to the station, ya hear me!"

"Loud and clear. _Vámonos chica_!" Action lead her into the dance hall, with the cop close at their heels. He glanced around a couple of times until he spotted his "friends". He pulled Rosalia in close again, "Buenas noches, senorita," he smirked at her then let her go so that she fell on the floor. He winked at her then ran off to join his American buddies on the dance floor.

"Rosa! You made it!" Rosa looked up to see her lovely best friend dancing over to her, "How did you get down there, _querida_?"

Rosalia forced a smile as Francisca helped her up. "I'm not going to let that _Action _beat me. I am simply going to forget all about him and have fun," she thought determinedly. "It is these new shoes 'Cisca! I think I still need to earn my sea legs."

Francisca sensed something was wrong with her amiga but decided not to push the issue until Rosa was ready to talk about it.

The two girls linked arms and headed over to where 'Nardo and his little sister were standing, both laughing and joking but when Rosa looked over her shoulder she saw a certain Jet silent for one and staring intently back at her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Danny? Danny! You get outa bed this minute mister and help your mother!"

Action groaned irately and rolled onto his stomach with his hands cupped over his ears in a vain attempt to drown out his mother's shouting. He was trying to remember the dream he had been having before his mom had started hollering. It had been…nice, he remembered. It had felt safe and peaceful and clean. There was a girl in the dream. A girl with soft skin and eyes that shined like stars. His memory was fading and he desperately tried to cling on to the remaining strands of the vision.

But eventually, reluctantly, he rolled out of bed; still fully dressed in yesterday's clothes. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes as he waded through the knee deep pile of trash that covered his bedroom floor.

"What is it, ma?" he asked once he had reached the dingy little kitchen.

"Well someone from the bridal shop is comin' round in a little while but I gotta go and take Joanie to school so can you be here to meet her, hun?"

Action stuck his pale arm into the cereal box so he could steal the stupid toy inside just to irritate his kid sister.

"Danny? Are you even listenin' to me?"

"I'm listenin', I'm listenin'. I just don't wanna do it."

"Danny, please," his mother begged, her blue-grey, mascara-stained eyes were wide and pleading. Action stared at his scuffed baseball boots.

"No, ma! I don't wanna sit round here all mornin' waitin' for some Spic to come with your dumb dress!" he snapped.

Ms Mollie Thompson, soon to be Mrs Mollie King, let out a weary sigh. "You sound just like your pop when ya talk like that, ya know."

"Well that's good! He was the only one 'round here who ever talked any sense! You, Joanie, Chuck, _Paul_! You're all insane!"

"Danny, please try to understand," his mother started in her most soothing voice.

"No! You know them PR's is ruinin' free enterprise – just like pop used to say!"

"You know that if we didn't buy some things from that Puerto Rican shop I and Paul wouldn't be able to afford the wedding! Besides it's a free country! It's not like you and your little friends own every corner of the West Side!"

"Well I don't wanna hang 'round here all mornin'" Action muttered backing down slightly – although he'd never admit it, his ma was the only person who could get him to step off the gas and be cool, "I and the Jets got plans."

"Plans! Plans to terrorise those PR kids? You are just like your old man ain't you? Now when this girl arrives I want you to invite her in and tell to wait for me, okay?"

"Why can't the little ankle-biter take herself to school?"

"Do you wanna carry on livin' here Danny?"

She was tryin' that old threat again, huh? She had used that one on him dozens of times before but it never used to worry him until she kicked his old man out.

"Yes ma."

"So then I'll be back in a little bit okay, hun? Now be polite to this girl, Danny," she said as she kissed him on the forehead "Joanie! Let's scoot, kiddo!"

"Comin' ma! I'll see you later _Danny_," she said mockingly. Geez, was that kid cruisin' for a bruisin' or what?

Action ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "What does she know 'bout anything?" he fumed inwardly, "She don't know nothin' 'bout nothin' -she just thinks she knows it all 'cos she's a adult and I'm just a cruddy juvenile delinquent!" he slammed he fist on the table, "My old man – he got it but then that old battle-axe sent him away so she could get hitched to that _Paul!" _Action smashed a cereal bowl on the grey vinyl kitchen floor. He jumped up and down on the smashed remains until he was red in the face and breathless. He breathed heavily, admiring the shards of cheap china and smiling slightly to himself. He actually felt better for a minute but the moment soon passed.

"Why the crap did I do that? Riff would never have done somethin' like that!"

"Stay cool, Action-boy!"Riff's voice ordered in his head.

"Easy for him to say," Action thought. Riff never struggled with kind of thing – he was always cool. It just seemed to come naturally for him. Same with the others – sure they were all loudmouths but they knew when to shut up and get cool. Cool was something Action struggled with. Probably the reason he was never lieutenant – Riff didn't trust him not to do something he'd regret. That wasn't an issue with Tony – that guy was so wet now it seemed he had no real fighting instincts of his own.

Action did try to keep quiet and keep cool but it seemed like there was a fire inside of him, burning away at him until he felt he would surely explode unless he let off some steam.

But then Action heard a cautious tapping at the door which shook him from his thoughts. "It's open!" he shouted. Probably just that spic from the dress shop. He heard the lock click and the old door creak open.


	4. Chapter 4

In the door way stood a tan, young woman in lime-green capri pants and a black shirt tied to show her middle. Her dark curls were loosely tied back with a ribbon and she was weighed down with boxes. She had the expression of a small child caught in the headlights – wide eyed and nervous. Action had never imagined seeing a Spic as pretty, but this girl was beautiful.

But it wasn't just any Spic girl. It was_ the_ Spic girl. The girl from outside Doc's and at the dance. The girl that haunted his dreams with her smooth skin and bright eyes. Just my goddamn luck, thought Action bitterly.

"Sit those down there, okay _chica_?" Action drawled, playing it cool, trying to prove to himself how little her existence mattered to him.

"_Sí_," she breathed, in a barely audible voice.

"Huh? You're gonna needta speak up _señorita_."

"_Sí_." Rosalia repeated, slightly louder.

"Better."

Rosalia remained silent as she unpacked various cream and ivory coloured fabrics, trying her hardest not to look up at Action, lest she be turned to stone. To be honest, he was treating her better than he had in their previous encounters. Rosalia wondered if the boy was feeling ill.

Just then Action's mother

Action took a deep breath and sighed. "Don't talk much do ya darlin'."

Rosalia looked up at him, taken aback by the slightly kinder tone. She stared right into his emerald eyes, opened her mouth as if she was going to speak then shut it again, afraid. Rosa shook her head in answer to his question.

"You really gotta…stand your ground, y'know? Stick up for yourself a little more."

"I-I try but, but, _es una tarea imposible_..an impossible task. I'm just so afraid here."

"I'm just about the opposite –when I'm with my buddies, I'm not scared of anything. Probably why I get into trouble with the "honourable arm of the law" a little more than the rest of 'em."

Just then the pair of adolescents heard yells of "Danny, you still around? Danny."

Action's cheeks flushed slightly red at the mention of his name. He went and opened the door to shut his ma up.

"Danny, you're still…" Mollie glanced over and saw the young Puerto Rican, "Oh I'm sorry, hun, I didn't see you there. Sorry to keep you waitin', I had to make sure my youngest got to school alright. My Danny's treated you well I should hope."

"Ma!" Action protested, pushing his curls out of his eyes.

"Your son has treated me very well, Miss Thompson." Rosalia murmured.

"Well…that's good," Mollie said finally, "Can I see my dress child? I just haven't got long before I need to get to the grocery store."

"Here it is, Miss Thompson," Rosa said handing her a simple yet beautiful white gown.

"Oh, hun, it's beautiful. I'm gonna go try it on."

Action had barely heard a word that had been said. He was so confused. The Spic had lied to protect him. Why would she bother after all he had done to her and the rest of the Sharks for that matter. It made no sense. No sense. After all he'd done to drive her away, she was protecting him. Then Action realised the girl had been talking to him.

"Sorry, what?"

"I said, that your mother will look very beautiful in her dress."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah she will."

"Your father is a very lucky man."

"Yea-what?"

"Your father? He is lucky to be marrying such a beautiful woman."

Action felt himself steam up. Paul was nothing to do with him and the whole world needed to know that for a fact. "Let's get one thing straight _señorita_," he spat out the word like it was a curse, "Paul is not, and never will be, my father. He's a good for nothing, and he is half the man my old man is, you got that?" By now Action was leaning over, right in Rosalia's face and scaring her half to death.

"You've really screwed up now, buddy boy," he thought. The Riff in his head told him to play it cool and to try to win her back over.

"I-I'm so sorry I didn't realise. I shouldn't ha-" Rosalia's big eyes darted around the room looking for escape, but she seemed frozen where she stood.

"No, no," Action breathed, moving away from her, "I should be sorry. I have a bit of a temper problem, y'see. I just can't stand that Paul."

Action could see the damage he had done – the angel-faced girl, who had begun calming and relaxing her muscles, was now tense and terrified. In that moment Action didn't care he was a Jet and she was a Shark. In that moment he knew just how much this girl meant to him.

"I-you, you have the most sweetest eyes."

"Excuse me?"

"Your eyes. They're nice." Action could hardly believe that he was saying these words, but it felt right. He continued, "And I couldn't hurt you because…I like you."

"Oh. Gracias, senor."

"Don't mention it." Action walked around the table to where Rosalia was standing. "My name's Danny Thompson, Action to my buddies, what's yours."

"Rosalia Sanchez, Rosa to my friends."

"Rosalia Sanchez," Action repeated as his mother walked back in, a vision in white. She had the brightest smile, so happy you looked past the wrinkles and saw a woman being given her second shot at love.

"Ma, you look beautiful."

"Do I really? I feel it. It's perfect, thank you so much."

"De nada."

"Here's the $16 I owe you. Thank you so much."

Before Action could say another word to her, Rosalia Sanchez had packed up and left.

"You like her don't you, Danny?"

"I don't know what you mean ma."

"I've never seen you look at a young lady like that before. If you do, you go after her Danny. Don't miss your chance."

Action flung open the door and ran outside the apartment. He knew she'd take the elevator, with all her boxes to carry, so he'd cut her off if he ran down the 4 flights of stairs. By the time he was at the bottom, red in the face, she was halfway down the street. He sprinted to her. His hair looked more manic than usual. "Excuse me Miss Sanchez," he said politely, "But that seems like a lot to carry. Can I give you a hand?"


End file.
